The Tessa Randolph Collection, Books 1-3 by Paula Lester (good short books .TXT) 📕

She fingered the badge, in its safe spot on the lanyard around her neck and bit her lip. She couldn’t imagine the magical badge would be much help in this situation. It wasn’t like she could use it to convince Mrs. Green and Hannah she belonged there.

She got in the car and sat for a moment, tapping on the steering wheel. It was too bad Corwin Blade had given her the gift of the scythe instead of invisibility. Sure, the scythe had come in handy for her once, but invisibility would be much more useful.

For a moment, she contemplated going back inside and asking Gloria to get into the reading with the invisibility magic, but she quickly decided against it. Gloria had already indicated she didn't want to have anything much to do with this investigation anymore—especially in her capacity as boss. And Tessa didn't want to test the bonds of their friendship as they were navigating this new relationship of boss and underling.

Then she remembered something. Lark's name had been on the list of beneficiaries invited to attend the reading of the will. Tessa glanced at the clock on the dashboard. She'd have to hurry, but maybe she could catch Lark before the chef went into the mansion.

As she drove across town and out toward Mr. Green's neighborhood, Tessa chuckled to herself. It was a good thing Mist River didn't have any budget issues. There were never many cops out issuing speeding tickets, and she'd been doing a lot of fast driving lately.

She was relieved when she pulled into the mouth of Mr. Green's driveway and the gate was open wide. Obviously, since they were expecting people from outside of the estate, the staff had left it unlocked.

She drove up to the house and felt even more victorious when she caught a glimpse of Lark getting out of a beat-up old Pontiac.

Tessa jumped out of Linda and hurried over to the other woman. Lark gave her a quizzical look. "Tessa. What are you doing here?"

"The lawyers at my firm believe it may be in your best interest to have representation in attendance at the reading of the will," Tessa said, doing her best to keep her tone smooth and a businesslike smile in place.

Lark scrunched her nose and then scratched it. "I don't know. Why would I need a lawyer in there now? Maybe after I know what it says."

"Oh, I'm just a paralegal. But I can sort of keep an eye on things for you, you know? If something doesn't seem like it's fair to you, I can report that right to my bosses. Then, if you need to hire them to fight anything in court for you, they’ll be ready."

Tessa held her breath as Lark considered that, shifting her feet a few times and glancing toward the mansion. Her whole body stiffened. Tessa followed her gaze and caught a glimpse of Hannah standing on the porch, staring at them. But when Tessa looked at her, Hannah turned and marched into the house.

"Okay," Lark said suddenly. "Yeah, that's great. Thanks for being here."

Tessa wondered at her sudden change in attitude. Did it have something to do with Hannah? She pushed away the thought, not really caring why Lark had agreed—just glad she had.

They walked together up the stairs and through the front doorway.

Wow.

If Tessa had thought the kitchen was immaculate and grand, going through the front door was absolutely mind-blowing. She’d only ever seen such lavish decor on television. It was almost too much for her to comprehend. Elegance, fashion, and most of all, money was on full display.

Everywhere she looked, there was something that must've come from a fine Italian or French shop. Marble, glass, and brass dominated the space. At the top of an expansive, double-wide staircase with extravagantly carved railings was a gargantuan portrait of Artemis Green that looked hand-painted and must be at least six feet. He appeared serene in a forest green smoking jacket.

"This way, please." A man in a tuxedo and bowler gestured with white-gloved hands for them to head through the doorway he stood in. He was around Tessa’s height but probably twenty pounds thinner, making him look almost not there. "The reading will take place in this room," he intoned, as though it were the most boring thing in the world.

Lark glanced at Tessa and then lurched forward. Tessa trailed behind, trying to see as much as she could while her eyes threatened to mutiny and squeeze shut. It was just too much extravagance to deal with at once.

When they crossed the threshold into the next room, it was only slightly less distracting. The word sitting room leapt to Tessa’s mind as she looked around, but maybe it would've been more appropriately termed a library because book-lined shelves covered two walls. The rest of the room held several scattered seating areas, each apparently designed to provide a cozy spot to read or chat.

Tessa recognized Mrs. Green sitting in a wing-backed, burgundy chair wearing a lap blanket, her cane leaning against the square end table next to her. Hannah stood just behind her mother, resting a delicate hand on the back of the chair. Hannah’s face was impassive, but Tessa caught a glimpse of red-rimmed eyes. She'd either been crying, hadn't gotten much sleep, or both.

There were a few other people in the room who Tessa didn't recognize, but by the way they were dressed and their features, she assumed they were relatives of Mr. Green—maybe nieces and nephews or, perhaps, even some of Hannah and Nathaniel's children.

Tessa followed Lark across the room, where Lark took a seat along the far wall, as though she'd chosen a spot as far away from Mrs. Green as possible. Tessa felt the elderly woman's eyes on them. When she sank onto the sofa next to Lark and looked back at Mrs. Green, she was glaring at them. But she didn't say anything, and behind her, Hannah didn't spare them a glance at